FORMERLY the world’s largest importer of recyclable materials, China’s ban on foreign waste imports has thrown the international waste processing industry into disarray.
Mount Gambier City Council’s kerbside recycling service will continue to operate as normal despite mountains of plastic waste being stockpiled at the city’s primary recycling facility.
Locally the impact of China’s waste ban is visible at the Green Triangle Recyclers depot, where the inundated processing facility has continued to stockpile mixed plastics with no current market value.
But council’s environmental sustainability officer Aaron Izzard said there was “no change” to council’s kerbside recycling system and urged residents to continue to recycle where possible.
“We are examining all options, along with every other council in Australia,” Mr Izzard said.
“There is no change to the council’s kerbside recycling system at this point in time – residents can still put everything in their blue recycling bin that they were before.”
He said the mixed plastics being stockpiled at Green Triangle Recyclers were not being directed to landfill.
“Some types of plastics are still being sent off to be recycled and while mixed plastics are currently being stockpiled, we anticipate they will be able to be sent off for recycling in July when a new facility opens in Adelaide,” Mr Izzard said.
“The local government industry across Australia has indicated that sending recycled plastics to landfill is not an ideal solution in the short or long term.”
Mr Izzard said the dramatic reduction in commercial viability for processing operations would ultimately impact council’s budget.
“Green Triangle Recyclers, along with the entire national recycling industry, has experienced dramatic reductions in the values of recyclable materials,” he said.
“Councils across the country are likely to have to pay more to continue recycling services – the details for Mount Gambier are still being worked through.
“Longer term, council is considering using some of the resources in its infrastructure operations.
“One example being investigated is crushing glass back into a sand-like consistency and using it in road or footpath construction as a replacement for sand.”
Mr Izzard encouraged residents to follow council’s recycling guidelines to avoid contaminating the recycling stream.
